Improved horse-collar



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

U. R. DURFEE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED HORSE-COLLAR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,620, dated October9, 1866.

To all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known thatI, O. R. DURFEE, ofRochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Horse-Collar; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawing,making part of this specification, in which the figure is an elevationof my invention, showinga portion ofthe covering O broken away from oneside, so as to ex pose the inner metallic plate, P, to which the shanksD ofthe draft-bar B are attached.

This invention consists in a peculiarly-constructed horse-collar, thetwo breast or side pads of which are rigidly attached to a curveddraft-bar passing under the neck of the animal, the top of the padsbeing connected bya padded strap buckled to them, and the hametugs beingattached to the ends of the draftbar. By this peculiar construction andarrangements of the parts the use of the ordinary hames is entirelydispensed with, and a much more perfect and desirable result attained. t

To enable others to make and use my invention, l will describe itsconstruction and operation.

The metallic plates P should be made in pairs, of plate-steel or othersuitable metal, and several holes tapped through them to receive theclamping-screws S. The plates P arc made in shape about as shown, andare curved liatwise to make the pads conform tothe shape ofthe animalsneck and breast. They may have holes punched in the edge, so as to bestitched to a false or primary covering, to hold them in position whilethe pads are being stuffed, Src., and afterward this covering may bestitched to the outer covering, C, or the latter may be placed in itsproper position upon the plate, and a false plate or bar, representingthe shanks D of the draft-bar B, attached by the screws S, to hold theparts in their place, relatively, until the pads are attached andstuffed, when they may be attached to the draft-bar permanently.'

The shanks D ofthe draft-bar may be wrought or cast upon the bar, orthey may be made separate, and attached by one or more clampin g-screws,if desired. If the latter construe tion be adopted, the impin gingsurfaces should be provided with ne serrations, in order to prevent thepossibilit-y of the two parts from changing their relative position whenthey are properly clamped by the screws. /Vith such a construction itmight also be desirable to provide the draftbar or the shanks with aslot, whereby the pads or collar might be spread or placed nearer eachother, so as to t larger or smaller horses. There may also be slotsprovided in the shanks D for the screws S to pass through, to permitchanges to be made in the relative position ofthe shanks with the pads,for the purpose of setting the hame-tugs, and thereby the draft., higheror lower, if desired.

The neck ofthe shanks, or thatportion connecting with the draft-bar B,should be long enough to carry the bar sufficiently forward to entirelyclear the animals neck. The bar or the shanks may either or both be madeof wrought or malleable iron, or of steel, as may be preferred.

The hame-tugs are attached to the d raftbar at the eyes a. The top pad,F, may be made to buckle on either side, or on both sides, as shown inthe drawing. This pad should be nnbuckled when the collar is to beremoved.

It will be seen that bythe use ofthe curved draft-bar B, to the ends ofwhich the ordinary hame-tugs are attached, however great the draft towhich the horse may be subjected, the pressure will always be directagainst the shoulder, and can never, under any circumstances, cause thepads of the collar to roll outward, and thereby gall the shoulder orbreast, as is the case with the ordinary haine: collar.

/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The horse-collar herein described, consisting of the curved draft bow orbar B, plates P, pads A, and' connectingstrap or pad E, the severalparts being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially in themanner herein shown, and for the purpose set forth.

C. R. DURFEE.

Witnesses:

P. T. TURNER, WE. S. LoUGEBoRoUGH.

